Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1887-04-23
THE OLD SETTLER.
He Tells Peleg What the Wild
Waves Done"

"Grandpop," said little Pcleg, as he
fingered a stiff-springed patent clothes
pin and cast a glance at the old cat
that lay snoozing in the splint-bottom
rocking-chair; "Grandpop," said he,
what are the wild waves saying?'
The Old Settler looked up from the
pages Of the local paper, in which he
was reading an account Of a hog-guess-
ing match that had come off over at the
Corners. He scowled ~ his specta-
cles at Peleg, who fitted the clothespin
carefully on his nose and closed his
mouth To see how long he could his
breath.
II haint heerd no wild waye> ayellin'
any thing very loud lately, Ell knows
on, said the Old Settler, witch wild
waves is it th't-Mriar, Whack that
Young un on the back or he'll bust ey'ry
durn gizzard he's got,'
Peleg had hung OF to his breath un-
til his eyes began TO bulge out and his
face was as red as his grandfather's
nose. He succumbed 10 the inevitable
before his grandmother could give him
the whack. He opened his mouth and
started his lungs to working again, but
left the clothespin on his nose. His
grandfather glared at him for moment
and then said;
witch wild waves is it th't yer
speakin' OFF,
''Theb that rips and roars arou'd
Conveys Ilud," replied Peleg, his utter
ance stopped by the pressure of the
~clothespin on his nose,
The Old Settler reached for his cane.
"Peleg!' exclaimed his grandmother,
"take that clothespin often yer nose?
Ye gimme a cold in the head to hear
yc. What was We meanin' ter say?"
Peleg removed the clothespin and re-
peated his remark. Them that rips
and roars around Conveys Island; that's
what | said. What are they saying,
grandpop?'
"Coney's lsland!' exclaimed the Old
Settler. wat in Sam Hill do you
know bout Coney's Island, or bout
any wild waves ez mowt or ez mowtn't
be a rippin' an a r~oarin'?'
1.-The new school ma'am from town
boards to Bill Simmons's,' replied Pc
leg, "and t'other night she was telling
us about Conveys Island. She's been
there lots, and she told us that she
could set on the bank down there and
listen to what the wild waves was say.
ing all day long. ] asked her what
they was saying, and she said: oh
much, little boy She didn't say how
much or what it was, and | asked Bill
Simmons if he knowed, and he said HI
did but wasn't giving it away, Go ash
Yer grandpop,' Bill said. If he can.
tell YOU says Bill, the worlds comm!
to an end That's how | came to asl
You. Can't you tell me?"
Eyes, b'gosh, | KIM exclaimed til
Old Settler, shaking his fist in tn
direction of the Simmons homestead
II kin tell ye! Them wild waves is
sayin', an they're a yoopin' it out so
it kin be heard from Conveys Island t.
shutdown, TIT the best thing YOU XII
do is to keep sheto' that Bill Simmons
or THAI a single out thar in the var
that'll make the properest kind Of
paddle, an if that paddle is made al
used you'll hef ter stan up fer more
week wen yeeat yer slap-iacks al
'~lasses! That's wat them wild way,
is sayin', Peleg, an it's yer poor ol
gran'pop th't's tellin' ye so, b'gosh, al
We won't l~isten.'
Peleg sat down by the side Of ii
splint-bottom rocking chair. He sa.
nothing, but thought to himself, as
toyed with the clothespin. that If Il
wild waves had said all hat To Il
schoolma'am, she must have been mo
than pleased at their remarks about Il
paddle and the slap-jacks. The o
Settler picked up his paper agai
Pcleg's grandmother took her knittir
went off to the setting room, and
grandfather, after finishing the accou
of the hog guessing-which stated til
Pete Hcllriggle had won the hog-al
remarking that If Pete didn't trade t
hog off for Il bar'l o cider the winni
ofit'd be Il lucky thing fer his FAM
ez they'd ben browsin' on sassyfrax
winter, he turned to Pcleg and said:
YES, my son, that's wat them vi
waves is sayin', an cz yer gran'maml
hain't in hearin' to get worried at O
talkin', I'll tell We wat some W
wave done to me wunst. Them wa
didn't say nothin', but they jist got
an done. This happened wen | W,
boy, consid'able many year a.
'Twere on the ninth day of April, 10
in the AFTERNOON. | were jist com
seven year old. Their had ben a
rain fer two or three days, and | kno'
th't Sloplick creek must be jist ri
fer sucker iishin', an so | sneaked
pap's chestnut pole an hosshair
outen the barn and cut crosslots
the big bend o the creek, witch W
fist owe a raise o ground from
cabin in the clearin', mebby four or
rod away, but out o sight, Ca
'wcrc in the gulley, twenty-five 1
lowcr'n the clearin'. An speakin
sucker fishin', sonny, yen see fol
git through with this leetle anccd
th't tn was suckers in the creeks
them days. Tn haint none in
now, but thur a many o. one outen
creeks. an big un's, too. Wall, W
] come in sight o. whar OIL Slopl
ortcr been jist more thin bilin', ow
70 the hard rains, l nlnos' tumb
hack In o fsinsip' IT. Tn want